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Published on: 08/13/07 For Toney Austin, it’s all about Money — in more ways than one.

Money is the name of Austin’s son, who turns 3 in January. And his son’s name could not be more symbolic of Austin’s life situation.

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“I am striving so that Money can have something in his life, some of the things I didn’t have,” Austin says.

Austin makes about $25,000 a year working for Atlanta’s watershed department. But he is determined to build a new life for himself and his son.

That’s what led him to the Dunbar Neighborhood Center for Working Families. A financial counselor there told him about the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal benefit for low-to moderate-income families — all too often a secret to those in most need.

Austin was able to get his taxes prepared for free through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program. And with the new tax credit, Austin’s refund increased to $6,000, up from $4,000 the year before.

Using his refund, Austin in March put a down payment on a home — the first he’s ever owned — in southeast Atlanta. Austin, 56, proudly shows off his new abode, complete with furnishings for him and his young son.

It’s a manageable life with a manageable budget. He makes $957 every two weeks (about $500 after deductions), and his mortgage payment is $656.70. Every penny is accounted for, and he even has a savings account.

Austin doesn’t want to keep his newfound financial stability to himself.

“I’ve been making other people aware of the programs,” Austin says. “I was filing taxes, but I wasn’t getting as much money back as I should have.”

Austin could be the poster adult for the new Atlanta Prosperity Campaign — a program being launched by the Atlanta Community Food Bank — to help raise the standard of living for the working poor.

“We consider this economic development,” says Bill Bolling, the food bank’s executive director. “We estimate that it will bring between $12 million and $15 million into the local economy, and that’s a conservative number. And it’s helping people we say we most want to help — those who are trying to help themselves.”

The Atlanta Prosperity Campaign currently is seeking partners throughout the community — from Atlanta’s United Way to state and local chambers of commerce. (In some other U.S. cities, these programs are run by the local chamber of commerce or the local United Way).

Bolling says the Atlanta Prosperity Campaign already has been presented to the hotel industry, and the hope is that employers will work with their employees to make sure they are receiving all the benefits they can.

It’s estimated that about 25,000 lower-income families in Atlanta are eligible for the tax credit but are not taking advantage of the program. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that across the country, up to 25 percent of all eligible families (those earning less than $41,000) do not apply for the tax credit.

The food bank needs to raise about $400,000 to run the program, but it already has put a team in place to launch the campaign in time for the 2008 tax season.

Two members of the food bank’s staff have been organizing the campaign — Laura Lester, who is director of advocacy and education; and Carter Elliott, who joined last month as manager after working on a similar program in Florida.

In addition to working with employers and industry sectors, the campaign also will make a grass-roots push in the seven-county metro Atlanta region (Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Rockdale and Henry counties).

Currently, there already are 34 VITA sites — places where eligible people can get their taxes prepared for free — in those counties. But many of those sites could be enhanced with new computers, furniture, expanded hours and more volunteers.

Plans also call for another seven sites by January and for a central clearing place where people could get information for all the benefits they may be eligible to collect. Ultimately, the plan is for the campaign to broaden its reach and help people sign up for food stamps, housing assistance and PeachCare insurance.

Bolling also says the food bank will work with 800 community-based organizations that are part of its network to help make sure everyone is aware of all the programs that can help them make ends meet.

“The benefit to the community is much broader because you are helping people who then become contributors,” Bolling says. “With the money that now is being left on the table, folks are going to spend that money in the community.”

Despite its strong economy, metro Atlanta has a sizable population of people who have not joined in the economic boom.

Rising gas prices and tightening mortgage credit adds to pressure on families below the poverty line. So having a program that works from the bottom up is just as important as recruiting new business to the region.

“What we have found, even with all the bad trends out there, we find hope everyday with the people that we serve,” Bolling says.

Hope is exactly what Austin now has.

“I feel better because now I have a goal, and I want to succeed,” Austin says. “I don’t need much for myself, but I want Money to have the best. I want him to have a good education.”

That’s how a tax credit can help change one life, one person, one family — not just for today, but likely for generations.

As Austin says, it’s all about Money.